Sorry, I just had to brag a little.  I shot the USAF M-16 AFQC yesterday (I am cat C so once every 30 months ).  I haven't shot the newest course of fire before (adding the gas mask) that was interesting. I did manage 49/50 though, I was very happy!  The M-16A2 bastard child we used was an A1 lower with A2 enhancements, converted to burst, overstamped and ugly.  It had an FNMI upper that was also ugly but functional.  The mags were brand new Okays (and one brand spanking new HK steel/powercoated mag).  I have always had beat to hell mags, rifles, etc. at all my previous courses.  We had to use frangible ammo due to WA state environazis, but it shot straight enough apparently, as long as you didn't shear the tip of the bullet off loading it.    All in all, its nice to shoot somebody else's rifle/ammo for a change, but I was damn jealous of the jarheads the next range over going apeshit with their SAWs.    Aftter handling and using the HK mag, I want some, but not bad enough to drop $40 on them.  Maybe they will get cheaper...

I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time.

Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time.

+1k  roadmarch uphill, run up and down some more hills cross country style with one, plus a full combat load, with your ruck, till youre sucking wind. then do IMTs and try to break contact and fall back while youre inhaling the amonia stink and cordite and shit. All that while trying to hit a man sized target 400-500 meters away. hooah.

Quoted: Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time. +1k  roadmarch uphill, run up and down some more hills cross country style with one, plus a full combat load, with your ruck, till youre sucking wind. then do IMTs and try to break contact and fall back while youre inhaling the amonia stink and cordite and shit. All that while trying to hit a man sized target 400-500 meters away. hooah.

+1 That and is wet and muddy as shit or snowing.

Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time.

I don't know why, but they seamed to pick the smallest person to carry the pig in my day. I got stuck with a 203 most time too.

ROFL. Yeah. I got the SAW in my team...and I'm the small guy - 5'5" and 130 pounds

Quoted: Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time. I don't know why, but they seamed to pick the smallest person to carry the pig in my day. I got stuck with a 203 most time too.

Must be to even out the total load weight, ya know for weight and balance.  

Trooper+equipment has to be X weight +- 10%.  There ya go, thats why the little guys gets the big gun.  

Quoted: I don't know why, but they seamed to pick the smallest person to carry the pig in my day. I got stuck with a 203 most time too.

You too uh? They always pick on the short guys!

Be glad it ain't the M-60.

I humped one of those but, I'm 6'3" and was 220# at the time.

Quoted: ROFL. Yeah. I got the SAW in my team...and I'm the small guy - 5'5" and 130 pounds

Quoted: Be glad it ain't the M-60. I humped one of those but, I'm 6'3" and was 220# at the time. Quoted: ROFL. Yeah. I got the SAW in my team...and I'm the small guy - 5'5" and 130 pounds

Sgt Gold, I was 6'3" 180 in those days and sometimes got stuck with the Pig (m60) but most times I had a M16A1/M203 even as a team leader. Maybe it was the firing expert with everything at AIT that got me.

Quoted: Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time. Yeah, I shot the SAW a few times, but I really don't like itty bitty belt feds that much. Real men hump hogs. Nice shooting, btw. We had some AF guys attached to my bn hq (in 1990) they carried slick sided AR-15's.

We used nothing but slick side M-16s (not A-1 or A-2) until some time in the late 90s.  The first M-16A2 I ever shot was the Army's at Ft. Benning.    We still have tons of those lowers in use, just modded to 3rd burst and overstamped.  I know guys (ANG mostly) that have been sent to Iraq with slickside original M-16s very recently.  Glad precious few of us will ever be in a position to use them.  The cops and sec ops types (anybody actually expecting to get shot at) all have M-4s with Aimpoints on them.  I'm going to try to talk my way into M-9 class so I can pack that around in Iraq instead.    

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I promise, SAWs are fun....until you carry it on exercises or on a roadmarch for the first time. Yeah, I shot the SAW a few times, but I really don't like itty bitty belt feds that much. Real men hump hogs. Nice shooting, btw. We had some AF guys attached to my bn hq (in 1990) they carried slick sided AR-15's. We used nothing but slick side M-16s (not A-1 or A-2) until some time in the late 90s.  The first M-16A2 I ever shot was the Army's at Ft. Benning.    We still have tons of those lowers in use, just modded to 3rd burst and overstamped.  I know guys (ANG mostly) that have been sent to Iraq with slickside original M-16s very recently.  Glad precious few of us will ever be in a position to use them.  The cops and sec ops types (anybody actually expecting to get shot at) all have M-4s with Aimpoints on them.  I'm going to try to talk my way into M-9 class so I can pack that around in Iraq instead.

And to get the star on your marksmanship ribbon.

Quoted: And to get the star on your marksmanship ribbon.

Assuming I actually shoot expert, yes.  I shot M-9 once before, only got 33/40, not quite good enough.  FWIW I have shot pistols very very little compared to rifles and shotguns, but now that I have my own 1911 and can practice, I think I would fare better.  

we got to go sight in our weapons (though we had to wear our friggin body armor, so i was having a hell of a time) out here, and we brought Red Horse along, they brought 3 240B and a SAW.... my first time playing with belt fed, unfortunately only 15rnds through the 240, but it was fun as hell!

One of the saddest days of my life was the day I made E-5. They took away my M60 and made me carry an M203.

Quoted: Sgt Gold, I was 6'3" 180 in those days and sometimes got stuck with the Pig (m60) but most times I had a M16A1/M203 even as a team leader. Maybe it was the firing expert with everything at AIT that got me.

Quoted: We had to use frangible ammo due to WA state environazis...

Sounds like a case of some officer / SNCO being too careful.  Across the street at Camp Murray, we use M855 to qualify.  Most of the WA ANG is Cat B or higher.